ON Creativity
Creativity. The word stirs many things up for the hearer, many more for the understander. Often used as a label, a “creative,” and I often suspect, especially in these modern days, less often felt or absorbed as the intended delivery.
Creativity isn’t something we do, it’s something we are: creative. And “are” is directly connected to what God is: “I Am.”
God stands before everything (full stop) as creator, developer, architect, artist, draftsman, master. He is “I Am” creative. It flows from him. A river winding and ever moving, bending, rushing, and living. It’s active. He’s active. He doesn’t “do” only, he “is” and does from that “is.”
So what is creativity in his creation? How is a creation creative? Do we boast power over the work? Where does that power come from? Where is the origin of that idea? We flow from him, we are in and of his river. what we do, say, think, speak, create is a drop in the current moving and bending as he moves and bends.
Creativity is strong, masculine. It wields power to move mountains, to change the course of history, to impact generationally and beyond. Creativity is bold, brash, in your face, ready to challenge and impart wisdom and reflection. It can throw down with the heaviest hitters, it can weather the fiercest storms, it can brazen the thickest and most treacherous situations…
Yet it’s feminine. It’s fragile. It needs to be cared for, while also wanting to care for. It’s whimsical, full of the richest and deepest of emotions. It delivers nourishment like a breast, and provides a sense of home and security. It’s there to listen. To love. To cradle and empower.
Creativity embodies the full spectrum as God does, however creativity isn’t God.
My words as I talk to my wife embody the full spectrum of myself, yet the words aren’t me. They are an outflowing of me, a conversation.
Creativity isn’t just a thing to do, it’s a conversation to have with the one who created it. As you, I, we enact our talents and make things - be it writing, traditional art, music, movies, skyscrapers, jewelry, anything - we are engaging in a conversation with God, and as we can deduce from scripture, that isn’t to be taken lightly.
A conversation with the being that is - always and forever has and will be “I Am.”
That isn’t containable.
These days, creativity is something you put on a resume or portfolio. It’s something to make money from. It’s “enough.” most of the time. It’s not often encouraged to exercise fully, it’s not something that is coaxed into full intensity. It’s often dampened, controlled, pushed down. It’s also not encouraged to develop fully - we have been given the title of “master” far too quickly when our creativity is followed with thousands of likes and dollars. Yet, a true master would laugh in the face of someone who hasn’t honed their craft.
When we lose touch with the true meaning of creativity, we in turn drain the ability to converse with our maker. We dumb down the conversation. We might be talking, but it’s “see dick run.” Someone tell me with a straight face you can read that book these days and feel the same level of impact and inspiration as you would finishing Lord Of The Rings or something of the like. I dare you.
To this end, feed the creative side like it’s always starving. Strike the match and rekindle the flame. Keep it burning, for as close as you are to it, the warmer you get - the closest you get to creative exercise, the deeper your conversation with God is.